I’m absolutely over the moon to announce that my work has been shortlisted in no less than 3 categories for the Saboteur 2019 UK Spoken Word Awards. I’ve been listed for Best Spoken Word Performer in the UK, Word Wise has been listed for ‘Best Regular Spoken Word Night’ and ‘Man Up’ by Restoke has been listed for ‘Best Collaborative Work’. We’d be wholeheartedly grateful if you could vote for these projects using this form: https://form.jotformeu.com/91033853215350

Reciting the We Are Derby poem to over 400 pupils @ Lawn Primary School

Ayup people!

So 2019 has definitely gotten off to a bang! I’ve been rushed off my boots with lots of education work. This includes my first ever requested encore in a school assembly to over 400 kids, who were chanting along to my We Are Derby Poem (See photo above). I’ve also enjoyed being one of the lead writers visiting schools on behalf of SLAMJAM in Lincolnshire. I’ve also recently been involved in the This Is Derby project on behalf of the wonderful team at Deda. I also held a series of workshops as a visiting lecturer at both Keele and Derby Universities.

The next instalment of last year’s ACE funded Travelling Band project (Constell8) is also off to a start! Keep checking back for more dates on that one! In March I put out a new live video for my poem COBWEBS from the February UNISLAM victory which has been getting some good reactions over social media, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKs596bNhU4&t=94s There’s also some footage of me reading some new material that was recorded live @ Side Gallery for the Small Town Inertia exhibition in Newcastle back in January, Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zExJzq05NGs&t=348s

I’m lucky enough to have had my new show accepted for a week-long run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the fantastic people at Laughing Horse. Our Man will feature from Monday 19th until Sunday 25th August at the aptly named Raging Bull from 6:00 PM each night. The show is made up of poems from my next collection of the same title that is due to be published through Burning Eye Books in July. The self-titled poem was published recently in the Morning Star newspaper and can be read here: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/poetry-picketline-our-man-1

I’m thrilled to report that the year has started in style as my ace University slam poetry team-mates and I, managed to finish FIRST PLACE in the 2019 UNISLAM finals. We saw off another 24 universities in what was a completely enjoyable and gruelling experience in equal measure. The standard of poetry was second-to-none and I firstly want to give a huge shoutout to our fellow finalists: Strathclyde, Durham, and Leeds Universities who finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. Also a massive shoutout to all the other teams involved with particular mentions to: Leeds Becket, UEA, Derby (of course), Leicester DMU, Loughborough, Bath Spa and Sheffield, whom we all particularly bonded with over the weekend. Massive hats off to Toby Campion and his team of willing volunteers, judges, and hosts who truly made it a great event. The picture above is taken from the Grand Finals at the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, prior to our victory; hence my moody expression. Look out for us as we’ll be back performing at the Old Rep Theatre on Saturday 16th Feb, as well as the Hammer & Tongues final @ The Royal Albert Hall next year!

In other news I’ve been back at work at HMP Foston Hall and I’m happy to say we have some new group members who’ve been a pleasure to work with. Their poetry never ceases to amaze me and I look forward to more slick bars being presented. I’m also happy to announce that my next book and show Our Man is still on course for a July release via the wonderful people at Burning Eye Books I’m very proud of this one, expect a plethora of live dates around its release (more about this in due course). For now though I’m happy to confirm dates at The Chesterfields Labour Club on March 2nd and also cracking the seal on The Cheltenham Poetry Festival on April 25th! (see live page for details). There’s also some videos from my Pride Park performance back in December, which are linked underneath the picture below! I’ll also add them to the videos section! There’ll be a new studio version of We Are Derby along shortly with a stinking new video. I’ve not forgotten you Rams fans. Expect to hear my gob on Radio Derby’s Sportscene in the not-so-distant future as well! There’s also a nice review of my 2017 debut poetry collection The Best Of A Bad Situation from Write Out Loud head over to the review section to see that.

So on Monday 17th December I was invited by Derby County FC to recite my poem ‘We Are Derby’ live at Pride Park Stadium for the East Midlands Derby between Derby County & Nottingham Forest. Here’s a photo of me sound-checking the Friday before.

I’m happy to say I survived the onslaught of the Forest fans & smashed the poem out word-for-word. To perform to that many people provided a ridiculous buzz & I can’t thank the Rams fans enough for the gratitude they’ve shown for the poem. There’s a video of me performing it on the pitch at the game to follow so keep your eyes peeled for that. I also have reason to believe that this makes me the first ever poet to read at an East Midlands Derby, as well as many other possible claims to accolade! I’ve begun my investigations so I’ll keep you updated as to when my notoriety is confirmed 😉

I’m also happy to announce that my first date of 2019 is an opening for the exhibition of J. A. Mortram’s Small-Town-Inertia exhibition @The Fantastic Side Gallery in Newcastle.

In other news: I’m happy to say that I’ll be teaming up with a load more great artists for the second phase of the Ace-funded Travelling band project; ‘Constellations’ will start in 2019 so keep your eyes peeled for that.

As I undertake the final year of my MA studies, I’ll also be performing as part of the University of Birmingham Slam poetry team in the Unislam finals in February.

I’ve been mostly writing new material, working on a novel, doing my MA, teaching workshops and also being a Dad so I’ve not been giving much love to the live circuit. However we had our first Word Wise of the year last Friday which was ace. It was a pleasure to bring JB Barrington and Jim Higo to the city to perform for the first time; big thanks to all of you who attended! February’s Word Wise will see Mark ‘Mace’ Smith and Alice Short. It will take place on the last Saturday (24th February) instead of the last Friday!

In terms of my own live shows; I’m very happy to be appearing at the amazing Verve Poetry Festival at Waterstones in Birmingham on the 18th February alongside my poetry fam-a-lam Salena Godden, Matt Abbott and Maria Ferguson. I’ll also have some bits coming up towards the summer that I’ll announce in due course.

The first print-run of my collection The Best Of A Bad Situation SOLD OUT!!! So Silhouette Press have sent off for the second edition. You can buy it here:

For me 2018 is all about pushing myself as a writer and working on as many projects as possible.

I’m really excited to be a part of Bloque Capitals and we’ll be dropping a new tune very soon with a video etc. I’m working on 3 separate poetry collections, as well as the novel, and also a collaborative piece with the excellent Matthew Clegg. I’ve been made an ambassador of the charity POETS IN who work to deliver Creative Writing Workshops in Prisons and rehabilitation centres. I’m also the lead writer and Spoken Word artist on the Man-Up project working for the excellent RESTOKE. I’m also getting more and more work in terms of the education stuff so as you can see I’ve got my hands full.

I’m gonna make a concerted effort to blog a little bit more but don’t hold it against me if I don’t achieve this!

I started work for an agency; I’d been there six-months (on ‘n off). One Monday I goes in ‘n they ‘ad a position on the bins. I took it; piece of cake, I was thinking.

Half an hour later the Bin-Lorry came round the corner and picked us up; I couldn’t believe me eyes; I knew one of the lads in the front; Smudge, a geezer I used to knock about with back in the day.

Him and the geezer driving (Kenny) made us feel welcome; showed us the ropes ‘n that.

That first day they stopped at the chippy for dinner; cuz I’d not brung any with me. The weather was pretty nice that day; I remember getting a right sweat on sat in the front of the lorry and yammin’ all that hot food down me gob.

We knocked off about three-o-clock that day; finished the round a little bit later than usual, Smudge ‘n Kenny said. Fuck-it though, I don’t think they was being funny about it; don’t think they were trying to hint at oat. They knew it was me first day so I think they were all good with it.

From the Tuesday onwards I got me Mrs to make us a pack-up; nice sandwiches, loadsa crisps ‘n chocolate ‘n all that.

The first week flew by, the weather was proper sound. I was buzzin’ with me pay-packet the following Monday; I’d earnt more than I’d ever earnt in me life. That night I went out on the piss proper style, me n Smudge was on-it-like-a-car-bonnet!! Avvin it proper.

The next morning me enthusiasm for the job was beginning to wear-off. At first I’d enjoyed the running about ‘n that; felt like it was doing me good ‘n keeping me fit. That morning it was different though; it just wasn’t the same. The kebab I couldn’t even remember eating started to repeat on us, I ended up pukin me guts-up on only the fourth street. Smudge ‘n Ken were laughing at us like fuck; the bastards, bet I looked a right-sight though. I vowed to quit drinking after that day, at least on school-nights.

I kept up me vows for the remainder of the week ‘n got smashed at the weekend. This became a routine for the next month or so; a true WEEKEND OFFENDER, but I was beginning to dread the Monday morning.

But despite the dread Monday morning rolled on next week ‘n I went to work. I was beginning to get really pissed-off with the way people leave their bins, always wonky ‘n full to the brim, heavy as fuck to push along when you have to do pissin’ eighty to a hundred on every bastard street. I was happy when lunch-hour came, I scoffed me food down like a savage.

A couple more days went past ‘n then it was the Thursday, it looked like it was gonna piss it down. I walked to the depot anyway. That Kenny was beginning to piss us off, he kept going on about their old-partner Dezzy; a legend him ‘n Smudge had said. ‘N that was fine; it was fine to think of an old-colleague to be of legendary status, that was not the problem. The problem was that Kenny kept dropping fucking remarks like;

Not as fast as our old ledgy-Dezzy is he Smudge? ‘n stuff like that. It was funny the first few times but I was beginning to take it personally.

By the time Kenny ‘n Smudge pulled out the lock-up and picked us up it was proper tearing-it-down, I couldn’t fucking believe it. I got in the front ‘n Kenny was grinning, the smarmy bastard, I was feeling fucked-off with it all.

We started the rounds ‘n I finished off the first couple of streets; I was soaking wet-through, I’d never been so bloody wet.

By the time I got back in the front and we were approaching the third street I’d already decided what I was gonna do. We pulled up at the top of the street; Renfew Street. ‘N then I did what I knew I was gonna do;

I ran, I ran like fuck!

Luckily me mate lived round the corner so I knew where I was running to, so I jogged on and never looked back and never set foot in the depot again. I could here Smudge shouting as I was leggin’ it-

-METZ, METZ! WHAT THA FUCKER YA DOING? DON’T LEAVE US IN THA SHIT!

I felt bad for Smudge cuz he was a good lad but me days of carting people’s shit around were well and truly over. The twats at the agency even gave me a full day’s pay for me marathon!

A couple of weeks later I got on at a factory round the corner from where I live. I’ve worked there ever since I ran away from the bins.

This job felt pretty steady until recently; all the government cut-backs ‘n that; they’ve been laying-off left, right ‘n centre. They say on the news that things will improve in the next couple of years. Apparently them Conservatives ‘n Liberal Democrats know what’s going on ‘n they’re gonna sort it out. It’s that kinder stuff that makes me not want to watch the news, sometimes I’m just not convinced they’re telling the truth; I think they might just be- all out for themselves; without a thought for you or me.